Everyone experiences some degree of hair shedding. In general, hair shedding is considered normal. But what exactly is normal and what should have you calling your doctor?
According to experts, shedding anywhere from 1-100 hairs a day is in the normal range. That being said, 100 hairs may be a lot for one individual, while not a lot for another. What it really comes down to is what each individual’s ‘normal’ is.
If you normally shed 50 hairs a day, then all of a sudden seeing a spike in shedding of 100 hairs a day for a continued period of time, should be alarming. This is outside the normal range for you, at double the amount of shedding you typically see.
This could be a clear sign of something wrong. While it may be the result of a change in diet, habits, stress, or a new medication, it could be a sign of hair loss. Regardless of the cause, you should call your doctor and try to get to the bottom of it.
The benefit of detecting early hair-loss related causes, is stopping hair loss in its tracks. It is much easier to stop hair loss from progressing when you catch it early on, than to resolve it later on. This is because once a hair follicle dies, it is gone forever. If you can catch a hair follicle before it dies, you have a chance to keep that hair.
If you are experiencing hair shedding that is outside the normal range for you, give your doctor a call. This shedding may lead to hair loss that you can stop before it progresses. If you’d rather meet with a hair loss specialist to evaluate the causes and your options, give us a call today.
Tag Archives: hair transplant
Should you be concerned with complications from hair transplant surgery?
Hair transplants are a common medical procedure sought out by those seeking an aesthetic improvement to their balding hair.
In a hair transplant surgery, your own natural hair is transplanted from a place of fullness to a place of balding. Hair transplants are a great tool for those who are seeking a natural-looking solution to balding and hair loss.
In general, hair transplants are safe and effective. But like any medical procedure there are possible risks and complications.
In hair transplant procedures, possible complications include infection, bruising, swelling, scarring, scabbing, inflammation, and hair loss.
How common are these complications and when you should you be concerned with them?
Anytime you’re undergoing a medical procedure you should always make yourself informed of the risks and possible complications. This is good practice as a patient and will help you make informed decisions.
The occurrence of these complications in hair transplants depends on a few key factors: experience of the hair transplant surgeon, location of the surgery, and good aftercare by the patient.
Surgeon experience
The risk of complications such as scarring, infection, bruising, and hair loss can be greatly reduced if a skilled and experienced hair transplant surgeon is conducting the procedure. There are modern techniques and tools which minimize potential risks.
Location of the procedure
There is a trend among those seeking cosmetic procedures to go abroad for their surgeries in an effort to save money. This trend is dangerous and can have unfortunate consequences. The risk of all complications of hair transplantation increase dramatically when you leave the US to get the surgery done. This is because medical doctors in other countries such as Turkey (a popular hair transplant destination) are not held to the same high standard doctors are in the US. A large majority of patients who seek restorative hair transplants are victim of foreign botched hair transplants. We see a high rate of shock hair loss, scarring, and infection, all of which can have permanent, irreversible repercussions.
Patient aftercare
It is very important to follow your doctor’s aftercare instructions. Keeping the areas clean, avoiding certain medications, incorporating ice, and taking it easy so your body can heal all play a role in post-hair transplant complications.
If you’d like to learn more about hair transplants and if you are a good candidate, give us a call today.
How dense should transplanted hair be?
If you’ve been researching hair transplants, you’ve likely come across a picture or two of a sparse, plug-like looking hair transplant. When there’s lots of space in between hair follicles, more scalp shows through, creating a balding or thinning appearance to the hair. If you’re looking for a hair transplant, you’re likely looking to resolve balding or thinning as much as possible, not highlight it further by having scarcely place follicles across your scalp.
But just how dense should transplanted hair be?
Well, there isn’t a simple answer to this question.
The density of transplanted hair depends on two factors: the density of the surrounding healthy native hair and the hair transplant surgeon’s technique and ability.
With hair transplants, we strive for natural looking, full hair coverage. Therefore, you’d want the transplanted area to fit in and flow nicely with the surrounding areas, matching the density of the full, healthy-haired areas. This will keep the hair looking natural and keep you from looking like you had a procedure done.
That leads us to our second factor in density: the surgeon’s abilities. If a surgeon’s abilities or experience are lacking, you’re going to get the best hair transplant s/he can give you rather than the best hair transplant for you. This is why experience and techniques are so important when searching for a hair transplant surgeon. The punch size, placing by hand versus robotic assistance, and involvement of the surgeon will directly affect the density of the transplanted hair and the overall hair appearance. Over-sized punches, robotic tools, and the absence of surgeons during procedures are directly correlated to poor results such as a plug-like or thinly covered recipient zone.
Don’t let this happen to you. Ensure your hair transplant looks natural and appropriately-dense. Give us a call for a consultation today.
The importance of graft placement in hair transplant surgery
Hair transplant procedures are a great way for those experiencing hair loss to reclaim their hair. Hair transplants allow you to have your own natural hair restored in areas that have been balding for years.
When done properly, your friends and family will never know you had a procedure done. It looks that natural – because it is. Unfortunately, not all hair transplants are done properly.
Some surgeons, whether because of laziness or inexperience, cut corners in hair transplant surgery which can cost patients the results of their procedure, leaving them with what we call a botched hair transplant surgery.
One of the ways in which surgeons can greatly effect the outcome of hair transplant surgery is with graft placement.
In order for the hair transplant to look like naturally growing, young, healthy hair, the grafts must be placed in a natural formation. This way, the transplanted grafts will blend right in with the surrounding native hairs, leaving no one the wiser that you’ve had a restorative procedure done.
Natural-looking graft placement takes time and expertise. It can be quite tolling on the surgeon, as they often have to put strain on their back, put in long hours without breaks, have steady hands, and a meticulous eye.
Inexperienced or lazy hair transplant surgeons rely on the use of machines or technicians to perform the bulk of the surgery and ease the difficultly and strain of high-quality hair transplants. This, unfortunately, causes an increase of risks such as scarring, plug-like looking grafts, damage to hair follicles, and low graft survival rate.
Your prospective hair restoration surgeon shouldn’t cut corners, and neither should you. Make sure that your hair transplant and investment will yield great results by thoroughly researching and asking questions.
Schedule a consultation today to see what your hair transplant could look like.
*Individual results vary.*
Post-hair transplant surgery shock hair loss
Sometimes, after a hair transplant surgery, a condition known as shock loss occurs. Shock loss is when your natural pre-existing (aka native) hairs fall out. This can occur in the recipient as well as the donor zones. This hair loss causes new areas of baldness that were not there previous to the hair transplant.
Shock loss occurs due to the stress of surgery and the body’s response to that stress. Anytime we have a surgical procedure, we are putting the body through a type of stress. Stress responses differ from person to person.
In hair transplant surgeries, we sometimes see shock loss as a stress response. This happens because the surrounding follicles near the extracted or implanted grafts because traumatized or “shocked” by the procedure.
The good news is that shock loss is often a temporary condition. The hairs usually return during the next hair growth cycle (2-6 months). In cases where the hair loss is permanent, the hairs that were effected by shock loss were likely weak follicles. This means that they were on their way to dying off and becoming bald areas soon.
There are ways to avoid shock loss prior to and during hair transplant surgery. Avoiding mega-sessions, being informed about the hair loss and growth process, and choosing a surgeon that utilizes a precise hand technique as opposed to robotic all play a role in shock loss.
Post-surgery shock loss and graft-shedding are sometimes mistaken for each other. To clarify, shock loss refers to your native hairs falling out near where grafts were extracted or placed. Shedding refers to the newly transplanted grafts cycling through the natural hair growth cycle. Graft-shedding is natural part of the hair transplant process.
If you would like to learn more about hair transplant surgery and what it entails, give us a call for consultation.
Is a hair transplant surgery the right choice for you?
Hair loss effects over 80% of men and 50% of women over the course of their lifetime. This extremely common condition leaves many searching for a solution.
While medical management offers great methods to restore hair, such as PRP therapy, laser therapy, prescription medication, specialized shampoos, and even over the counter medications, these recourses are only effective for the right candidates.
If you’ve been experiencing hair loss for some time, have progressed hair loss, or didn’t have any luck with medical management, you may be wondering what your next option is.
Hair transplant surgery is an ideal option for those with progressed hair loss. This medical procedure involves taking hair follicles from other areas of your scalp or body and transplanting them into the areas of hair loss.
Modern hair transplant surgery is much different than plugs, wigs, or hair pieces that have been methods used by balding people in the past. Hair transplant surgery is your own natural hair that grows in on its own where it’s needed.
Due to the natural, organic nature of hair transplant surgery, patients are able to regain their youth and hair without it ever looking like they were bald or sought a medical recourse.
In order to determine if you are an ideal candidate for hair transplant surgery, you should meet with a qualified and experienced hair transplant surgeon. After a scalp and hair loss evaluation, you and your doctor can determine the right amount of grafts needed to meet your hair goals.
If you’d like to learn more about hair transplant surgery, and figure out if it’s the right option for you, give us a call today.
How safe is hair transplant surgery?
With any medical procedure, there is some degree of risk and safety concern involved.
In general, when done in the U.S. by experienced and qualified hair restoration surgeons, hair transplants are safe and effective.
The danger and risk comes into play when regulation, skill, technique, certification, and cleanliness are lacking. While these risks are more common abroad, it’s possible to run into these issues in the U.S. as well.
Some potential issues that could jeopardize the safety and effectiveness of your hair transplant are a botched surgery due to lack of experience and skill, excessive scarring due to punch technique, infection due to unsanitary conditions, and further hair loss due to trauma.
To ensure you have a safe and effective hair transplant surgery, research thoroughly. Below is a list of some things to keep in mind as you’re meeting with hair restoration surgeons and deciding on which facility you’ll go with.
Before and after pictures. Peruse your potential surgeons before and after pictures of other patients. This will be your best indication of their skill and ability level.
Certified by the ISHRS. Make sure your hair restoration surgeon is certified by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. This is one way you’ll know your surgeon is knowledgeable in the field of hair transplants.
U.S. medical doctor in a U.S. facility. Make sure your surgery will be conducted in a clean and sanitary environment. Don’t risk getting your surgery done abroad. Other country’s doctors and facilities are not held to the same high standards as here in the U.S.
Follow all instructions. Heed all after-care instructions carefully. Keeping the area clean will reduce your risk of infections and complications.
Are you a candidate for hair transplant surgery?
Hair loss effects over 80% of men over their lifetime and over 50% of women over their lifetime. This common ailment used to have no recourse of solution.
But, thanks to modern advancements in medicine and science, hair transplants are helping men and women all around the world regain their hair.
This life-changing procedure involves extracting grafts from a ‘donor’ area (such as the back of the scalp) and transplanting the grafts into the ‘recipient’ area (aka area of hair loss).
While this procedure has helped so many not only get their hair back, but their confidence and youthfulness as well, unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for hair transplantation.
So, how do you know if you’re a candidate for hair transplant surgery or not?
Many factors play a role in determining your candidacy for hair transplantation. Below, are a few of the most prevalent reasons individuals are not ideal candidates for hair transplantation.
- Gender – while this factor isn’t exclusive (we’ve done many successful female hair transplants), in general, most women are not ideal hair transplant candidates. This is due to the type of hair loss that most women experience. Most women experience diffuse thinning hair loss. While hair transplants can still be successful on patients with diffuse thinning hair loss, it can be more difficult on women due to the length and coverage of the hair.
- Early stages of hair loss – if you are in the very early stages of hair loss, it may not be best for you to get a hair transplant just yet. Hair transplants don’t treat hair loss. That means you’re your hair loss will continue as you age. You will most likely need another hair transplant to make up for new hair loss. There are many ways to medically manage hair loss and even reverse it in the early stages. Right now, you may be a better candidate for laser therapy or PRP. You can save hair transplantation for later on down the road.
- A weak donor area – hair transplants require a healthy, full donor area to extract grafts from. If your donor area is weak, this may cause you to not be a good candidate for surgery. The good news is, there are other donor areas besides the back of the scalp that grafts can be extracted from. We have conducted many successful body hair transplants for those with a weak scalp donor area.
Please keep in mind that to determine your actual candidacy for hair transplantation, you should meet with a qualified and experienced hair transplant surgeon. If you are not a candidate for surgery at this time, but are experiencing hair loss, make sure to schedule a medical management consultation so you can maintain your hair and ward off hair loss as long as possible.
Case Study – Amazing Results Using FUT Method of Hair Transplant Surgery
There are many factors that go into determining your candidacy for hair transplant surgery. For example, the density of the donor area, the strength of the surrounding hair, the involvement and efficacy of medical management, and the severity of the hair loss, just to name a few.
When all of these factors work together in a patients favor, we see great results like these.
This patient presented with severe receding and balding of the crown. Although the degree of his hair loss may make this patient appear much older, he was only his late 20’s at the date this picture was taken. Utilizing approximately 3600 grafts, Dr. Yazdan was able to restore this patients hair line and fill in the crown.
Results are shown after 1 year post-surgery. The patient now has an appropriate hair line with good density throughout the crown.
The patient now looks like a new man.
How soon after a hair transplant can you wear a hat?
For many individuals who decide on hair transplant surgery, their least favorite part about the process is the appearance of their hair immediately following surgery. For the first couple of weeks post-op, there may be redness, swelling, and scabs in the recipient and donor areas of the scalp. Some describe the process as having your hair look worse for a small amount of time to look better for the long-term.
It is many individuals’ inclination to cover and hide their hair during this initial post-op period. Many patients desire to wear a hat or hood to shield the appearance of their hair.
Unfortunately, this is not a recommended option for patients so soon after surgery. You may be wondering why not? What harm could a hat cause?
Well, while hats are a great tool to conceal the hair, they happen to rest on the head where thousands of grafts have just been carefully excised and transplanted. Particularly, the band of the hat often sits right on the donor and recipient areas. This is harmful to the grafts, as they are extremely fragile and sensitive during this initial period. Any unintended rubbing or pressure could cause them to fall out, risking all the hours of hard work you and your doctor put in to give you a nice, full head of hair.
We typically suggest patients avoid hats for the first week post-op. While we realize this may be inconvenient appearance wise, it is the best way to ensure the results of your hair transplant surgery.
For whatever the reason, if you wish to have a discreet hair transplant surgery, not allowing people to see or know you had a recent hair transplant, we suggest scheduling your surgery during a slow period where you will be able to take off a few days to yourself.
Here at Modena, we offer flexible scheduling so you can plan your surgery around your busy work and life schedule. If you’d like to learn more about the services we offer, give us a call.
Is your hair a lost cause?
What’s next for those who are not candidates for hair transplant surgery or medical management?
Losing hair and balding can take a toll on even the most confident man’s self-esteem. Not only does it cause some to have embarrassment, it can also age you tremendously. Hair restoration surgery allows us to regain the confidence and youth we lost some years ago with our hair. And medical management can be a great tool to stop and reverse recent hair loss.
Unfortunately, not everyone is a candidate for medical management or even hair transplant surgery. Whether it’s due a poor donor area, a potential complication with the surgery, or hair loss that’s progressed too far. This can be heart-breaking news to anyone searching to solve their hair loss problems.
Fortunately, there is an option for those non-candidates to take back control of their scalp. Laser hair removal for the scalp has been a great tool for those who are balding. While it may be hard for some to part with what hair they have left, others find liberation and confidence in a polished look.
Laser hair removal is fast, effective, and affordable. If you’d like to learn more about laser hair removal for the scalp, give us a call today for a free consultation.
Does hair color affect thickness?
Generally, the rule of thumb is the darker the hair the thicker it is. Individuals with black and brown hair typically have thicker hair strands but an overall lower density of hair. While blonde hair individuals usually have finer hair strands but a high density of those hairs.
This is believed to be due to the amount of melanin in the hair. The more melanin, the darker the hair, the thicker the strand. Less melanin means lighter hair and a finer strand.
While these generalizations can help us track hair trends, they unfortunately don’t do much in helping us identify our hair type. Although we can correlate color and thickness, there is no direct causation between the two.
It is not at all uncommon for individuals to have dark hair and fine strands, as well as light hair and thick strands. What’s more likely to play a role in hair thickness is your genetics.
If you’re trying to decipher which hair type you have, you first need to find out if your strands are fine or thick. This can be done by comparing a strand of your hair to sewing thread. If the hair strand is thinner than the thread you have fine hair. If the strand is thicker than the thread you have thick hair.
Next, you need to find out the density of your hair. This can be done by parting the scalp in different areas of the head and noting the amount of scalp visible along the part. The less scalp visible the denser your hair is. The more scalp visible the less density you have.
Over time, our hair can change. This most often occurs with age. As individuals get older they notice their hair density decreasing. If you are an individual that falls into this category, you may be a candidate for hair transplant surgery and/or alternative methods to restoring hair loss such as PRP therapy and laser therapy.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to give us a call for a consultation.
How important is punch size in FUE hair transplant surgeries?
For those of you who have been researching hair transplant surgery, you’re probably familiar with the term ‘punch size.’ For those of you who are unfamiliar, punch size refers to the size of the tool that is used to extract and sometimes make new places for the transplanted follicles to rest on the scalp.
Common punch sizes used by hair transplant surgeons range from 0.75mm-1.0mm. Recent evidence on the use of larger punch tools has shown that they increase the risk for scarring. One of the great things about the FUE method of hair transplant surgery is that it has minimal risk for scarring. Using a larger punch size negates this benefit. Most experienced hair transplant surgeons, including Dr. Yazdan, agree the smaller the punch size the better.
Some doctors who still use the larger punch size claim that the larger punch allows them to extract follicles containing 2, 3, and 4 hairs. The truth is, punch size has little to do with what type of hair follicles that can be extracted. What plays a bigger role, is skill and experience. More often than not, these doctors lack the expertise needed to extract follicles containing multiple hairs using a smaller tool.
The other scenario where we still see larger punch sizes being used, is with robotic devices. Robots and automated tools can’t be as precise as a tool operated by a human hand. Therefore, they utilize a larger punch size in an attempt to increase extraction results. The problem with this is that the risk for scarring increases dramatically. Further, the success rate for transplanted follicles decreases dramatically due to the trauma induced by the large punch.
Here at Modena, we utilize a 0.7mm punch for extractions. When it’s time to transplant the follicles, we set aside the punch and utilize tiny incisions. This not only reduces the risk for scarring but reduces the risk of shock loss in surrounding existing follicles.
If you would like to learn more about our method of FUE hair transplant, give us a call for a free consultation.
Natural ways to prevent hair loss
While there are many medical methods to prevent hair loss thanks to advancements in hair restoration, there are also natural ways you can prevent hair loss in your everyday life.
Some of the biggest contributors to hair loss besides genetics and age are stress, environment, products, and diet.
Reducing stress in your everyday life can help reduce and prevent hair loss. Meditation, walking, yoga, and daily exercise can lower cortisol levels and in turn prevent hair loss.
The environment you create for your hair and the products you use on it contribute to the health of your hair. Tight hair styles that pull on the hair can harm the hair follicle. Additionally, hair ties can cause damage and breakage. Further, excessive use of hot tools like curling irons and straighteners can damage your hair.
A healthy diet with lots of water contributes to overall health and well-being. A healthy diet that provides the nutrients and vitamins your body craves will not only prevent hair loss but prevent other ailments as well and just plain make you feel better.
While improving stress levels and maintaining a healthy diet will help you prevent hair loss as well as promote a healthy life, tightening up these areas of your health won’t do much to reverse hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss at a rate you’re uncomfortable with, you may need to utilize some more advanced medical treatments to restore your hair. There are many nonsurgical methods such as PRP therapy, laser therapy, and shampoos and medications.
If you would like to learn more about reversing your hair loss and re-growing your hair, give us a call. Here at Modena we specialize in the medical management of hair loss.
Does hair shedding play a role in hair loss?
Hair shedding during brushing, washing and throughout the day is a normal process that happens to everyone.
To understand hair shedding, we first need to understand the hair growth cycle. Hair grows in phases. There’s the anagen (growth), catagen (regression), telogen (resting), and exogen (shedding) phases. It can take months or even years for our hair to cycle through these phases. Once the hair is shed, the process begins again with new growth.
There can be a wide range in the amount of hair loss each individual experiences. Some may experience minimal fall out when brushing while others may experience handfuls of hair falling out each time they wash their hair. Both of these scenarios can be considered normal fall out.
So when does fall out become something we should be concerned about?
Excessive and abnormal shedding could be a sign of progressing hair loss. It can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you are experiencing more than your normal hair shedding for a prolonged period, consider seeing your doctor to rule out any medical conditions. Once those have been ruled out, you should immediately begin maintaining and protecting the hair you have. Dr. Yazdan believes the best way to fight hair loss is to be as preventative as possible.
If you would like to learn more about how maintain the hair you have, give us a call for a consultation. We specialize in alternative methods to protect and keep your hair.
Does a weak donor area make you incompatible for hair transplant surgery?
Both FUE and FUT/Strip methods of hair transplant surgery rely on a healthy and sufficient donor area to extract grafts from for transplantation. If your donor area does not contain enough healthy, strong follicles to extract, it can complicate the hair transplant. Possible complications are not being able to extract as many grafts as are needed or the follicles are too weak and do not withstand the trauma of transplantation, dying off once transferred.
It can be very upsetting and 
disheartening for someone who’s decided on hair transplant surgery to restore their hair loss to learn they do not have a quality donor area. Thankfully, advancements in hair transplant surgeries have made it possible to extract grafts from other areas of the body. The most common donor area for the majority of individuals is the back of the head near the base. But, in cases where there is not a suitable donor area on the scalp, body hair can be used, considering there is enough quality hair to extract. Common body hair donor areas are the chest, back, and even the beard.
Because body hair grows in differently than scalp hair, you can expect minor discrepancies in the way the hair grows in once transplanted. For most male hair transplant patients, this is not an issue. Keep in mind that the rate of body hair growth may differ from the rate of your scalp hair growth. This can effect the way the hair grows in initially after transplantation. For most patients, we see desired results between 6 months – 1 year post-surgery.
Body hair transplants are a great alternative for those who are ready for hair transplant surgery but have a weak scalp donor area. Here at Modena, we’ve completed hundreds of successful body hair transplants. If you are interested in finding out if you are a candidate for body hair transplant surgery, give us a call today.
Is hair gel causing your hair to fall out?
Hair gel on its own does not cause hair loss. But, not keeping your scalp and follicles clean and healthy can.
If you use hair gel regularly, you should be washing your hair daily. Gel builds up on the scalp and clogs pores. This can constrict the follicles and interfere with the growth process.
To understand how gel interferes with the growth process, we first have to understand the cycle our hair grows in. Each hair grows for several months and years. It then goes into a resting period for a couple of weeks before it falls out. Once it falls out, a new hair grows in its place. If there is gel or sebum build up on the scalp, the follicles can become blocked. This blockage cannot be resolved with regular shampooing methods. Over time, the hair follicle miniaturizes and eventually dies.
Unfortunately, once a hair follicle dies there is no bringing it back to life. This is why its so important to take good care of our hair.
While hair gel does not directly cause hair loss, it can definitely contribute if you’re not taking care of your hair and scalp. Dr. Yazdan believes the best way to fight hair loss is to prevent it. Before you begin noticing build up on your scalp, consider switching to an organic, all natural hair gel or wax. Limiting the harsh chemicals that sit on the scalp will improve the health of the scalp and follicles.
If you are experiencing any type of hair loss and would like to learn more about managing it and re-growing it, give us a call. Here at Modena, we’re experts at utilizing alternative methods to restore and reverse hair loss.
Hair transplant recovery – when can I expect results?
Many individuals who have hair transplant surgery are eager to see results right away. This makes sense – you sat through a full day of poking and prodding and when you unwrap those bandages you expect to see something different. After all, you just had thousands of hair follicles transplanted. Instead, you see some redness, scabbing, and the same ol’ hair you’ve had.
In order to understand the timeline for expected results, we need to fully understand the hair transplant process as well as the hair growth process.
The FUE and Strip procedures we do involve Dr. Yazdan hand selecting, extracting, and transplanting, each and every hair follicle. This process is not only grueling on the doctor and patient, but also on the follicles. These follicles have gone through a sort of trauma. Once they are transplanted they do not begin growing immediately. They need to heal and settle in their new place.
Hair grows in cycles or phases. There are the anagen (growth), catagen (regression), telogen (resting), and exogen (shedding) phases. It can take months or even years for our hair to cycle through these phases. That means, it can take at minimum, months for our newly transplanted follicles to cycle through these phases. That is why we expect to see results 6 months – 1 year post-surgery.
The best advice for post-hair transplant recovery is to sit back, relax, and be patient while your newly transplanted follicles get comfortable and begin growing in their new home. If you would like to speed up recovery and ensure your results, you may wish to consider other treatments such as laser therapy, PRP therapy, and medications.
